


Call Me What You Like

by LivingOutLoud



Series: Your Name on My Skin [4]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 15:08:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6663628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivingOutLoud/pseuds/LivingOutLoud
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Back on earth, Leonard and Jocelyn have a spectacular shouting match, while Pavel and Joanna hide, trying to avoid it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Call Me What You Like

**Author's Note:**

> A soulmate marks AU where everyone is born with the name of their Soulmates on them. This is a series of Chekov/McCoy oneshots exploring what would happen in a world where you know someone is meant to be your soulmate by their name alone, without knowing anything else about them, and how that stunts Chekov and McCoy’s relationship before it even begins, and the painfully slow journey it takes them to finally accept it. The one-shots will be self-contained snapshots of their changing relationship in chronological order.

The worst week of their lives was over, thank God. Khan had been re-frozen along with his ship mates, Jim had been resuscitated and was on the mend, the Enterprise was being repaired. The only thing standing between McCoy and a week of leave was one last award ceremony. He could smell the fresh air and the hot Georgian sun already. He was going to hide away in the McCoy family farm, a tiny two bedroom antique of a house on half an acre of mostly weeds at this point, the only thing he had left after the Divorce. He got to keep it because it had been in his family for generations, but mostly because Jocelyn hated the countryside and thought the house was a decrepit health hazard. Well, Bones was going to take his decrepit old body to his decrepit old house with an even older bottle of bourbon and drink himself stupid until all his worries left, or until Scotty beamed him up off the bare floorboards, whichever came first.

But first he had to make it through one last official function. He stood in the ready room with the rest of the crew getting medals that night, which looked like half the crew. He was grateful when Scotty tore himself away from fixing Keenser’s uniform long enough to hand him a flask of scotch.

“You look like death.” Keenser said.

“We all look like that.” The doctor said, gulping down another mouthful.

“Not as much as I do!” Kirk yelled from the door. “Now, come on. The faster we start the faster we can all leave.”

McCoy stood on the stage, clapping politely as Kirk awarded medals for bravery, for going above the call of duty, for risking their lives, for saving lives. Anyone who had done almost anything from working in engineering to stop the ship exploding, to security against Khan, to the medical staff who helped McCoy was getting a medal. He clapped extra loudly for Scotty and Keenser who were being reinstated to Starfleet, and getting medals for basically calling Kirk on his bullshit before all this crap went down, though Jim had thought of a better title than that. He clapped for Pavel and for once didn’t care how much he stared, since everyone was looking at him, as he got two medals and was awarded the title of Leutenant Junior Grade, something Kirk said was “long past due”. He looked so grown up in his ceremonial uniform, McCoy could almost forget he was eighteen.

The whole ceremony took about two hours, getting through all the awards, then Kirk’s speech, then the re-christening of the Enterprise. Finally, the clapping dwindled down and the audience began to take their leave, and the crew were filed off the stage and back into the ready room. Everyone changed back into their everyday clothes, Bones folded his uniform nearly in his dufflebag, donning a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt, then throwing an old flannel shirt overtop. Even after all this time and everyone knowing, he still never let his tattoo be seen out in the open, and you could just see the bottom of “Chekov” if he wore a t-shirt. Maybe when he was alone in the house he’d relax more.

Most of the crew had left quickly. Kirk was still making rounds, trying to find someone to spend the week with. Spock initially said yes, then Uhura gave him a look and he quickly changed his answer to no. Scotty said he was welcome to stay at the same resort him and Keenser were going to, but they wouldn’t see each other much, as Scotty and Keenser didn’t plan to leave their hotel room.

“You’re always welcome with us up in California.” Sulu said, “I’m teaching Chekov to surf.”

“More exercise? Don’t you two ever stop?” Kirk said, looking between the two men.

“Well, you’re welcome anyway, just follow Chekov. I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you in a couple hours, Pasha.”

“Of course, Hikaru.” Chekov said, still shoving things into a ruck sack.

“Boooones…” Kirk began.

“Forget it, Jim. This weekend is me and a bottle of Bourbon in the middle of nowhere.”

“But Boneeessss.”

“No, Jim. It doesn’t count as a break if you bring the captain of the ship you need a break form with you.” Bones grumbled. “Go visit your mother, why don’t you.”

“But her new husband is awful, he treats me like a child.”

“Maybe if you stopped acting like a child.” Bones said, “I’ve got to get going. And don’t follow me.”

McCoy made it half-way down the hallway when he was accosted by little hands and a call of “Daddy!”

“Joanna!” McCoy called, scooping his little girl into his arms and hugging her tightly. “I didn’t know you’d be here today.”

“I wanted to see you, so I made Mom and Dad take me!”

McCoy kissed his little girl on the cheek and shifted her to his hip, so he could speak to the man standing near them.

“Mitchel.” McCoy nodded to his ex-wife’s husband.

“Leonard.” The man nodded, “Good job up there.”

“Thanks.” He gripped Joanna tighter as he watched Jocelyn walking up the hallway, looking pissed off at him as usual.

“I’ve got a thing or two to talk to you about.” She said, shoving her finger in McCoy’s chest.

“What’s new?” McCoy said, putting Joanna down.

Were you going to tell me about him? or were you just hoping I’d never find out?”

“About who?” Bones sighed.

“Pavel Chekov, you know, the child you’re bonded to.”

“Jocelyn, please…” McCoy’s voice was getting louder in spite of himself.

“No, I want to hear you explain it.”

“What do you want me to say?” Leonard threw his hands in the air.

“How about how you thought sleeping with a child wasn’t an important thing to tell the mother of your own child, how am I supposed to trust you around Joanna?”

“How dare you even suggest that! And you don’t trust me around Joanna anyway!”

“Don’t you yell at my wife!” Mitchel jumped in.

Kirk came out of the ready room and had to walk past the shouting group taking up the hallway. He squeezed past them, waving sheepishly at Bones behind Jocelyn’s back, then left as quickly as he could.

“I’ll yell at whoever I want. I don’t have to explain my life to you, you’ve certainly never worried about my opinions before. And you’ve never believed me anyway, so what’s the point?”

Then Chekov left the room, ruck sack thrown over his shoulders, shorts and a tight t-shirt making him look younger than ever. He stared at the ground and tried to make it past the group without being noticed.

“You’re Pavel Chekov, aren’t you?” Mitchel said, pointing at the boy.

“Yes.” Chekov said in his thick Russian accent, not stopping. But Jocelyn grabbed the strap of his bag, bringing him to a halt.”

“What the hell could you be thinking, he’s just a child.” Jocelyn said, still speaking to Leonard.

“I’m eighteen.” Chekov said.

McCoy and Jocelyn both turned to look at him like they didn’t invite him to speak.

“So he’s eighteen now, but how long have you two been screwing around?” Mitchel said.

“What is going on?” Chekov said to McCoy, pulling the strap of his bag out of the woman’s hand.”

“Chekov, this is my ex-wife Jocelyn, and her husband, Mitchel. Now everyone’s introducted, let’s all leave.”

“I still want answers, Leonard. How could you not tell me you met your soulmate, that he’s a kid.”

“It’s none of your damned business, that’s how!”

“And what about our daughter, you don’t think it was important to know you’re sleeping with someone a few years older than her.”

“Wait a second.” Chekov said, louder than everyone else. “Who said we were together? We’re not, and he’s certainly not sleeping with me!”

“I’m not stupid, kid, I was married to Leonard for years, remember?” Jocelyn said.

“First off, everyone can stop calling me kid, it’s Chekov, Pavel, or Junior Leutenant!” Chekov was beginning to shout now. “And so what if my name is on him? That doesn’t mean we’re together. It’s not against the law to not be with your soulmate! We’re not even friends, McCoy can’t even stand me. We speak on a work-related basis only, and even that barely happens, since we work on opposite sides of the ship. And if I’m in med bay I’m talking to M’benga instead, and if he’s on the bridge it’s probably cause we’re in the middle of a God damned fire fight! We might as well not be soulmates at all, since it doesn’t make any damned difference!”

The hallway went quiet for a moment before Jocelyn turned back to McCoy. “What does he mean you barely talk to him? How can you ignore your own soulmate?”

“Just a minute ago, you were yelling at me for being with him, now you’re yelling at me for not being with him? What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m not saying you should sleep with the kid, but at least…”

Chekov sighed and tried to take his leave of the group. He backed away slowly from the fight, but wasn’t sure if he was supposed to actually leave or not. Probably either way McCoy was going to shout at him afterwards. He rounded the corner in the hallway and leaned against the wall.

“You’re daddy’s soulmate, aren’t you?”

Chekov looked down at the small girl, not older than ten, sitting on the floor against the wall. “Uh, yes, I’m Pavel Chekov. You must be Joanna.”

The girl wiped her nose on her sleeve. “I just wanted to see daddy getting his award, why do I always make them fight?”

“If it makes you feel better, this time they’re definitely fighting about me.”

“I wish they’d stop.”

A silence grew between them, as Joanna wiped her nose and sniffled and tried not to cry. Pavel stood over her feeling awkward. He didn’t know what to do with kids, never mind a crying kid. He hadn’t been around children since he was one himself. But he couldn’t leave, not with all three of her parents shouting just down the hall and her crying because of him.

“And another thing…” McCoy’s voice could be heard over the ruckus.

Pavel took a seat on the floor next to Joanna, digging in his ruck sack. “You know, when I was a kid and my parents used to fight, I used to play cards.” He found the deck of cards he was looking for a pulled it out. “Of course, I was an only child, so it was mostly solitaire. Do you want to play?”

Joanna nodded and smiled a little. “I know how to play war.”

“That’s where the person with the highest card gets the stack, right?”

“Yeah, and if you have the same number, you have to battle.”

“Okay.” Pavel shifted so he was cross legged and began to deal the cards in front of them.

“Your parents used to fight too?”

“Constantly.”

“Were they not soulmates, like my mommy and daddy?”

“No, they were soulmates, they just didn’t like each other much. Or they liked arguing more, I’m not sure.”

Chekov laid down his cards, picking up when his cards were higher, letting Joanna take hers. Their cards matched and Joanna smiled, calling out “War!”

“Oкей, one, two, three, go!” Chekov laid down his line of cards and flipped the last one, “Oh, you won, you get all of them!”

“What is your accent?”

“I’m from Russia.” Chekov said.

They continued to play as Leonard, Jocelyn, and Mitchel went from arguing about Chekov to arguing about Joanna staying with McCoy for the weekend.

Joanna laid down a six and took Chekov’s three. “What should I call you?”

“My name’s Pavel, or sometimes friends call me Pasha.” Chekov said.

“Cause I call Mommy’s soulmate dad.”

Chekov sighed and put his cards down. “Look, me and your father aren’t together like that. We’re not getting married or moving in together or anything.”

“It took Mommy and Dad a long time to be together like a real family too, after Daddy left.”

There was silence as Chekov chewed on his bottom lip and shuffled his hand of cards.

“I like you, you don’t yell at me or treat me like a baby, like everyone else.”

Pavel looked up through his curls at the small girl staring at the ground, looking crushed. Something reminded him of himself at that age, and he didn’t want to imagine that.”

“You can call me whatever makes you happiest.” Chekov said finally.

Joanna smiled and put her finger to her chin. “I can’t call you dad or daddy. What do you call your dad back in Russia?”

“Papa.”

“I’ll call you Papa then.”

A few minutes later, and the argument seemed to be over. Chekov put hs cards down and stood up while the adults made their way around the corner.

“See you, Joanna.” He said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“What about your cards?” Joanna held up the loose cards.

“You keep them for next time.” Chekov said, ruffling the girl’s hair as he passed, walking down the hallway.

“Come on, Joanna.” Jocelyn said, staring down the hall and the boy leaving. “We’ll drop you off tomorrow to stay with Daddy.”

“Okay,” She cleared up the pack of cards quickly and shoved them in her pocket. She gave McCoy a hug and a quick kiss. Then she looked down the hallway at the tall figure quickly retreating. “Bye, Papa.” She called.

Chekov halted, then turned around, smiling and waving to the girl, all apprehension and uncomfortableness hidden on his face. He turned and continued to leave. He shifted the rucksack on his shoulder as he heard boots running behind him to catch up.

“You wanna tell me what the hell that was?” McCoy said, “Why is my daughter calling you Papa?”

“I told her to call me whatever she wanted. I figured there were enough people telling her what to do.”

McCoy stopped in the hallway, folding his arms over his chest. “You want to say something to me, say it.”

Chekov stood his ground and turned to face McCoy. “Don’t let your shitty relationship with your ex-wife ruin the one with your daughter. Don’t let her think that just cause you and her mom hate each other, that it’s her fault, or that you hate her too.”

“You think you’re so smart, you spend fifteen minutes with my kid? You don’t know a God damned thing about us!”

Chekov sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m tired of yelling. I don’t do yelling. All I’m saying is do something fun with her, show her you care about her. The mindset and emotions of a child solidify into fact far too quickly. If you don’t put in the effort to have a good relationship now, you never will.

“What the hell do you know about being a parent, Pavel, you don’t have kids!”

“According to you I still am one.” Chekov spoke quietly, but the rage dripped through his words and his eyes.

Then he turned as McCoy stood silent, and started down the corridor again.

“Wait!” McCoy called. “What, where are you going?”

“California!” Chekov called without stopping.

He left McCoy to stand in the hallway, wondering about who the boy leaving him actually was. He wasn’t the boy genius any more. He didn’t seem like the unflappable Starfleet ensign either.

**Author's Note:**

> Before anyone asks, no, Pavel and Joanna's relationship is not supposed to be romantic, it won't become romantic or sexual in the future. It will become more of a father-daughter relationship, or perhaps more accurately an older brother, kid sister relationship. I have decided to stick with making Jocelyn and Joanna's history more AU, including the addition of Mitchel, Jocelyn's soulmate and new husband. Basically, Jocelyn found her soulmate, decided to leave Leonard, he threw a little more than a tantrum and didn't cooperate with lawyers. That, coupled with the law in this world generally siding with soulmates being together over non-bonded couples. So McCoy lost custody and their house.


End file.
